
4871 was built at Crewe in 1945 and later renumbered 44871 following nationalisation in 1948.
BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.
Date Arrived | Depot |
January 1948 | Longsight |
September 1948 | Carlisle Upperby |
September 1951 | Crewe North |
January 1952 | Holyhead |
May 1952 | Crewe North |
June 1952 | Stoke |
September 1953 | Crewe |
October 1953 | Stoke |
May 1958 | Crewe South |
June 1960 | Stoke |
June 1963 | Trafford Park |
November 1965 | Stockport Edgeley |
May 1968 | Bolton |
July 1968 | Carnforth |
44871 was one of the locomotives used to haul the Fifteen Guinea Special on 11th August 1968 in tandem with 44781 on the Carlisle to Manchester leg. It was withdrawn from service the following day.
44871 remained at Carnforth which became Steamtown museum after being purchased by Dr Peter Beet and Graham Ellis. In 1974 Sir Bill McAlpine became a shareholder and subsequently he acquired a controlling interest in the company. Steamtown closed in 1997 but remains a working railway facility as the home to West Coast Railway Company.
Whilst Steamtown was open, and once the ban on operating steam trains on the main line was lifted in 1972, Carnforth was used as a base to operate trains to York and to Sellafield. The first test run took place to Ulverston with 44871 and 44932 preceded special trains to Barrow in Furness.At this time it carried the name Sovereign.
44871 also worked on the West Highland line from Fort William to Mallaig during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
For some years in the late 1970s the locomotive carried the name Sovereign.
In 2006 44871 was sold to Riley and Son (E) Ltd who operate a railway locomotive engineering and refurbishment company, based in Bury. This followed the death of Dr Beet in late 2005. Graham Ellis moved to the Isle of Mull in 1972 which had reduced his involvement with Steamtown.
44871 ran again under its own steam in 2009 and at the end of the year undertook load testing runs on the main line. It was returned to main line running again and after an absence of 17 years, it returned to Fort William in 2010 working the Jacobite service. At that time it had 10″ cabside numerals and 65J (Fort William – Mallaig) shed plate.
Whilst based on the East Lancs Railway 44871 has regularly performed on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as well as being used to haul a variety of train on the main line, often double heading with 45407.
In November 2019 the locomotive completed 502 miles in one day. It did this by running from Southall to Swindon, Shrewsbury and on to Crewe before returning to Southall via Bristol.
The boiler certificate expires in 2020.
Home Base | Current Status | Owner |
East Lancs Railway | Operational | Ian Riley
|




70013 Oliver Cromwell hauls the Fifteen Guinea Special into Carlisle whilst 44871 and 44781 wait to back down onto the train for the return journey. 11th August 1968

















- 44767 (LMS 4767 & BR 44767)
- 44806 (LMS 4806 & BR 44806)
- 44901 (LMS 4901 & BR 44901)
- 44932 (LMS 4932 & BR 44932)
- 45000 (LMS 5000 & BR 45000)
- 45025 (LMS 5025 & BR 45025)
- 45110 (LMS 5110 & BR 45110)
- 45163 (LMS 5163 & BR 45163)
- 45212 (LMS 5212 &BR 45212)
- 45231 (LMS 5231 & BR 45231)
- 45293 (LMS 5293 &BR 45293)
- 45305 (LMS 5305 & BR 45305)
- 45337 (LMS 5337 & BR 45337)
- 45379 (LMS 5379 & BR 45379)
- 45407 (LMS 5407 &BR 45407)
- 45428 (LMS 5428 &BR 45428)
- 45491 (LMS 5491 & BR 45491)